East Bay fishing report: redfish and trout

Weather the sun.The key to good fishing in August is to fish early or fish late. You'll want to avoid the midafternoon heat because it can really wear on you. Be sure to have plenty of water and Gatorade to replenish your fluids.

Redfish alert.The redfish bite continues to impress. There are plenty of schools throughout Tampa Bay and St. Petersburg. All the islands around Fort De Soto are holding fish. In upper Tampa Bay, Weedon Island and Fourth Street have some nice fish on them as well. So don't feel like you have to fish the same fish as everyone else. In fact, finding fish that are not being pushed around by a bunch of boats is better. These fish are more likely to eat, and you will be able to keep the school in front of you. I like to use cut bait on low tide and switch to live bait as the water rises.

Trout trolling. I am finding nice slot trout in depths of 4 to 8 feet. They have been holding in the deeper grass flats and troughs. You will want to use a popping cork when fishing in this depth. The noise the cork makes will help the fish locate the bait, especially when the water is murky. You can expect to catch a lot of small sand sharks with the technique as well. They are just everywhere this time of year. If you continue to get broken off, then switch up to a No. 1 long shank hook. You will still be able to catch trout without losing all your tackle on the sharks and other toothy critters.

Mike Gore charters out of Tampa Bay. Call him at (813) 390-6600 or visit tampacharters.com.